Some time ago I had the absolute privilege of getting up close to, and even driving a 1931 41/2 litre Bentley that had been through a nut and bolt restoration by one of my great friends. It’s a car that has a racing pedigree that dates back to the Golden Age of British motorsport. A string of victories at Brooklands, the Indianapolis 500 and total domination of the Le Mans 24 hour race between 1927 and 1930 has secured its status of one the greatest British racing cars of all time. The particular Bentley I drove is one of the last to be hand built from custom made parts before the dawn of the production line meant every car was identical to the one before. It’s no wonder that a glorious original specimen like that one is so sought after and carries such a hefty price tag.
The Bible says that we are handmade by a Creator God for relationship with him and to live with great purpose. But here’s the problem, most of us have been in a few scrapes, suffered some damage, survived a couple of near misses, the odd collision perhaps and maybe a sudden breakdown on the road of life. This car has been through a complete restoration, that’s what we need too. Today, a 1931 Bentley is authenticated by serial numbers on six crucial components, the chassis, the engine, the gearbox, the steering box, the rear axle and the front axle. Until fairly recently a vintage car could claim original status by having just three numbered components.
It meant that two relics could be taken to a workshop in bits and emerge as three original cars each with a share of the authentic components from the parts box. That means that for some makes of car there is now a greater number of so called originals than the number that rolled off the manufacturer’s production line when they were made. Whatever life has done to us and whatever it has taken from us, we are God’s creation, all having emerged from his great workshop. The Bible says “We are fearfully and wonderfully made” I want you to know today that you carry the authenticating marks of the Creator God and no one or nothing can take that from you.
We live in a world of counterfeits, replicas and unauthorised copies. That leads some people to question the very existence of God. How can I believe in him? How do I know he’s for real? How can I trust him with my life? I cannot offer you proof, only evidence, but I can tell you Jesus said this “You can know the truth today and that truth will set you free"